The conventional way to achieve pivotability in a connection between two machine members is to use a hinge journalled in bearings. A hinge journalled in bearings have one or more bearings arranged inside one machine member and a cylindrical pin hinging through the bearing and a pair of mounting lugs without mounting hole locking capabilities, attached by various methods to the outside of one mounting lug, to prevent the pin from falling out when linkage wear appears. The surface between the cylindrical part of the pin and the inner diameter of the bearing is greased through a grease channel, either through the pin or through the connecting machine member and the bushing.
There are several problems with the conventional type of pivot design. The most common problem is that the cylindrical pin, which most often is harder than the material of the mounting lugs, causes the hole surface of the mounting lugs to wear, thereby causing instability in, and eventually breakdown of, the linkage. The wear process is of an accelerating nature and eventually, the machine must be taken apart for the mounting lug holes to be welded and line bored to recreate the original tolerance between the cylindrical part of the pin and the inner surface of the mounting lug holes.
Once the wear process in the mounting lugs has started, which often happens during the machine manufacturers warranty period, and the pin is moving in the mounting lugs, all impact forces are transferred into the bearing member which deteriorates in various ways depending on the bearing material, stress factors, and work environment. This severely lowers the functional life time of the bearing member
Another problem with this type of pivot engineering is in regards to greasing. A proper greasing program has to be in place where different linkages need different amounts of grease at different times. Many times the machine users have difficulties following the schedule which causes premature wear.
An additional problem is the fact that abrasive materials and dust from the working environment often make their way into the surface area between the cylindrical part of the pin and the inner surface of the bearing. The abrasive materials and dust mixes with the grease and forms a grinding paste which quickly destroys the linkage. The abrasive dust mixed with the grease also travels out into the space between the pin and the inner surface of the mounting lug hole, thereby causing the wear process to accelerate further.
Therefore, a need existed to provide a system and method to overcome the above problem.